The invention relates to the protection of vehicles such as aircraft (airplanes, helicopters) or ground vehicles (trucks, tanks) from the threat of missiles using infrared, TV or electromagnetic guidance, and more generally, missiles fitted with a target-seeking device, or associated with such a device.
Portable missiles, fired by a single individual, are a significant threat, both from a military point of view and with respect to possible terrorist use. The well-known example of the firing of an IR missile at a jumbo jet during takeoff by a lone activist located in the vicinity of an airport illustrates this type of threat.
In order to combat this type of threat, current solutions are based on the principle of detection of the threat and dealing with it using appropriate countermeasures. The detection is carried out by stationary (ground-based) systems or systems carried on moving vehicles and consists of either radar detection or optical detection. This detection uses tracking methods to trigger such countermeasures as evasive actions, active or passive radar decoys, passive or active infrared decoys and lasers, antimissile weapons, etc.
The current solutions have the following disadvantages. The use of a method of detection then a countermeasure to the threat requires a very short response time compared with the minimum flight time of a missile, since missile flight times are short. This constraint results in a potentially high rate of false alarms. If the system is mounted on an aircraft or a vehicle, the cost and the weight of the system are major factors in the selection of the solution. Moreover, the integration of optronic countermeasure systems into fleets which are already operational can be achieved by the addition of a detachable “pod” which may alter the aerodynamic characteristics of the carrier, which affects the consumption.
The use of decoys, such as infrared jamming canisters, is not possible near civil airports, because of the fire risks inherent in such devices. The use of laser jammers requires a missile/target tracking system ensuring the beam is aimed into the field of view of the missile.